How reliable is the Ford Fusion compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Ford Fusion, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 57.8% across 46,353 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Ford Fusion?

The item recorded most often is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", which appears in 21.7% of failed Ford Fusion tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Ford Fusion?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 35.7% of all Ford Fusion tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Ford Fusion usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 88,053 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Ford Fusion models petrol or diesel?

Of the Ford Fusion cars tested, 78% are petrol, 22% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Ford Fusion MOT pass rate & common failures

From 46,353 recorded MOT tests of the Ford Fusion, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 46,353 MOT tests, 57.8% of Ford Fusion tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Ford Fusion fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, which appears in 21.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 88,053 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

57.8%unadjusted, not comparable46,353 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Fusion. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 46,353 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Ford Fusion tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded21.7%
3,226 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
2.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning17.3%
2,569 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
3.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc16.5%
2,457 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
4.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements12.8%
1,904 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
5.An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.9%
1,764 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.6%
1,726 occurrencesLamp not working explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen11.1%
1,655 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.0%
1,340 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
9.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc7.5%
1,120 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
10.Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements6.9%
1,027 occurrencesLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Ford Fusion tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded35.7%
16,526 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged22.8%
10,551 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements22.2%
10,273 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened16.0%
7,395 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured11.7%
5,421 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
6.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users9.6%
4,450 tests
7.Number plate inscription missing or illegible6.9%
3,180 testsRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained
8.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired5.9%
2,730 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

What gets tested

The Fusion fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 88,053
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol77.9%
Diesel22.1%

Trim names grouped into this model (2)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

FUSION 2
FUSION SE

Check a specific Ford Fusion

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Ford models

Ford Fiesta — 67.1% adjusted
Ford Focus — 71.6% adjusted
Ford Kuga — 75.3% adjusted
Ford Transit — 68.0% adjusted
Ford Transit Custom — 77.3% unadjusted
Ford Mondeo — 76.0% adjusted
All Ford models

Common questions

How reliable is the Ford Fusion compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Ford Fusion, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 57.8% across 46,353 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Ford Fusion?: The item recorded most often is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", which appears in 21.7% of failed Ford Fusion tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Ford Fusion?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 35.7% of all Ford Fusion tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Ford Fusion usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 88,053 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Ford Fusion models petrol or diesel?: Of the Ford Fusion cars tested, 78% are petrol, 22% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.